Shedding Light on Murder

Believing in second chances, Grace Tolliver, former probation officer and new owner of Pearl's antique lamp shop, hires Duane Kerbey, a troubled young man, as a holiday employee. But when a prominent local citizen of Barnstable Village, Cape Cod is murdered, and Duane is arrested for the crime, blame is placed squarely on the shoulders of Grace. After all, she sent the young man, knowing that he was a convicted felon, on an errand to the victim's home. Between learning the craft of constructing and hand-painting lampshades, readying the shop for the annual Village Stroll and trying to keep an eye on the antics of her eighty-four-year-old father, Grace sets out to solve the murder by shedding light on the victim's complicated past. Her quest is hampered by the attractive detective assigned to the case who doesn't appear to be seriously pursuing fresh leads, but is keeping close tabs on Grace. With a town full of likely suspects, a second murder and a series of bitter snowstorms blistering Cape Cod, Grace must prove Duane's innocence and restore her reputation by uncovering the shady and unrepentant killer.